Adam Frost

I’ve just been to a local gem – why is it we travel the country (and the world) visiting places of interest and ignore what’s on our doorstep? We really shouldn’t, I’ll tell you why.
 
I was invited to sit on the panel for a Gardeners’ Question Time at John Clare Cottage in Helpston, which I have to admit, I didn’t even know was there. And what a little gem! The John Clare Trust (www.clarecottage.org) have bought the cottage and renovated it creating a small museum and have added a coffee shop. They are also working on the garden and it’s really worth a visit. Thanks to everyone there for making me so welcome.
 
I really enjoyed it and it was great to get a real insight into not only a talented ‘peasant poet’ who spent the first 40 years of his life just up the road from me, but an interesting character. For those of you who haven’t heard of him, John Clare was a celebrated 19th century working class poet whose love of the English countryside inspired his work.
 
One of his jobs was as a gardener at Burghley House. He had lots of highs and lows and – what do you make of this one – this fella walked home from a mental hospital in Epping Forest all the way back to Helpston, which is about 80 miles (and it wasn’t even for charity!) Don’t expect his wife was pleased to see him though as she put him in there in the first place (don’t get any ideas dear…)
 
Anyway, interesting man and interesting place. Take a look at the website to see what I’m talking about.
 
p.s Thought I should just add my favourite John Clare poem. My wife and friends find my love for poetry all very amusing – apparently I don’t seem the type, whatever that means! They’re just lyrics aren’t they, and that’s what I love about modern music – something that tells a story or a point of view and John Clare’s poems were about love, lust and the natural world – you can’t go wrong.
 
Hope you enjoy the poem…..
 
Love Lies Beyond the Tomb
 
Love lives beyond the tomb,
And earth, which fades like dew!
I love the fond,
The faithful, and the true.

Love lives in sleep:
'Tis happiness of healthy dreams:
Eve's dews may weep,
But love delightful seems.

'Tis seen in flowers,
And in the morning's pearly dew;
In earth's green hours,
And in the heaven's eternal blue.

'Tis heard in Spring
When light and sunbeams, warm and kind,
On angel's wing
Bring love and music to the mind.

And where's the voice,
So young, so beautiful, and sweet
As Nature's choice,
Where Spring and lovers meet?

Love lives beyond the tomb,
And earth, which fades like dew!
I love the fond,
The faithful, and the true.